This invention relates to a transfer type recording apparatus in which transferring material borne on a support is transferred onto a recording medium, by transfer forcing means, such as heat generating resistance elements or a laser source, thus recording desired information thereon. More particularly, the invention relates to a transfer type recording apparatus in which a transferring-material borne on a support from which the transferring-material has been partially removed by printing, is coated with transferring-material again, so that the support is repeatedly used.
A thermal transfer type recording device is well known in the art. In such devices, heat generating resistance elements arranged behind a film-like support (bearing the ink which can be molten by heat), selectively generate heat to transfer desired characters or pictures onto a recording sheet. In one example of the conventional recording device of this type, a transferring-material applying device for coating a transferring-material bearing support, with transferring-material thereon, is disposed downstream of the transferring position, to coat with transferring-material the support from which the transferring-material has been partially removed during printing, thereby to repeatedly use the support (cf. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 178885/1982).
One example of the above-described apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B. In these figures, reference numeral 1 designates a correcting roller on which a wire 1a is closely wound. An ink roller 2 is abutted against the outerwall (formed with the wire 1a) of the correcting roller 1 in such a manner that it rotates with the roller 1. An ink pool 3 is provided upstream of the position where the roller 2 abuts against the roller 1. The ink which is solidified at room temperature and molten by heat from the correcting roller 1 is stored in the ink pool 3.
Flanges 4 are provided on both ends of the correcting roller 1 in such a manner that the inner surfaces of the flanges 4 are in contact with the two ends of the correcting roller 1, whereby the ink pool 3 is sealed and the leakage of ink to the shaft of the ink roller 2 during an inking operation is prevented.
In the recording apparatus thus constructed, the thermal head 5 is selectively heated, so that an ink layer formed on the outer wall of the ink roller is thermally molten into a series of dots through a recording sheet 6 and predetermined data is thus printed on the recording sheet 6. The ink roller (the ink layer of which has been partially removed during the printing operation) is coated with the ink which is thermally molten by the correcting roller 1, while being rotated in the direction of the arrow. At the same time, the ink layer thus formed on the ink roller is regulated in thickness, and is dried before it reaches the transfer position, so that it can be used again.
In the conventional apparatus, the ink layer formed on the ink roller 2 is selectively heated through the recording sheet 6. Therefore, the transfer efficiency varies according to the thickness and the thermal conductivity of the recording sheet 6 employed. As a result, it is sometimes difficult to clearly record the data on the recording sheet.
This difficulty may be eliminated by employing the following method: A film-shaped ink sheet is employed as a member for bearing the ink layer, and a thermal head is arranged behind the ink sheet, so that the ink sheet is heated directly (without interposing the recording sheet) thereby to transfer the thermally molten ink, in the form of a series of dots, onto the recording sheet. According to the method, the transferring operation can be effectively achieved irrespective of the thickness and the thermal conductivity of the recording sheet.
However, using an ink sheet which is thin and flexible presents certain difficulties. Even if members for preventing the leakage of ink, such as flanges, are provided on both sides of the ink sheet, the ink sheet may vibrate in the widthwise direction to move away from the flange surfaces That is, it is difficult to completely prevent the leakage of ink. In addition, the sheet may be creased or twisted. Thus, the use of the ink leakage prevention members is not practical.
If leakage of ink occurs, the ink flows over to the opposite side of the ink sheet or is pooled at both ends of the ink sheet. As a result, in the transferring operation, the ink layer becomes non-uniform in thickness, thus causing irregular transfer or smudging of the heat generating resistance elements. Thus, even if a transfer type recording apparatus is manufactured by using such an ink sheet, the above-described difficulties accompanying the conventional apparatus cannot be eliminated.